The 7 Year Hitch
by SmallRozfan
Summary: During the Finale, the line that caught my attention was Clark's and inspired this fic. "I've been ready for 7 years." What the heck! Ok, we understand what happened with the first wedding fiasco, but what happened the 7 years in between? Why are they sneaking around now? Hmmm. *Ding, ding, ding!* A fic idea was born.
1. Chapter 1

**The 7 Year Hitch**

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing to do with Smallville, Superman, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, DC comics, the characters used in this fic, the music used, etc, etc and so on. Please don't sue a die-hard Superman fan! This story is strictly for fun.

**Author:** SmallRozfan aka Beth

**Rating:** PG-13 (Mild language and possible mild sexual tension/innuendo)

**Summary:** During the Finale, the line that caught my attention was Clark's and inspired this fic. "I've been ready for 7 years." What the heck?! Ok, we understand what happened with the first wedding fiasco, but what happened the 7 years in between? Why are they sneaking around now? Hmmm. *Ding, ding, ding!* A fic idea was born. LOL

So this fic will be divided into 8 "weddings", not 8 chapters because some weddings might take more than one chapter. Basically, I want to show them trying to get married and by the end of it…I hope we'll all be ready to see them _finally_ tie the knot. I plan on parts of it being funny and sweet, frustrating and sad and overall fun. One more small thing…_I thrive on feedback!_ Love it or hate it, let me know what you think. What's your favorite parts? Do I need to watch my editing? Am I true to the characters? I only improve when I know what to work on. Thank you in advance for reading and reviewing.

Oh, and I don't really see Lois' platinum or white gold engagement ring looking so great with those plain yellow gold wedding bands, so we'll be addressing that too. LOL What can I say? It's my OCD kicking in.

A big thank you goes out to my beta, Kerthwinner aka Emily! Just when I think I've edited it to perfection, she swoops in and saves the day! lol

~CK/LL~

**WEDDING 1: DARKSEID (Dec. 2010 – May 2011)**

(A/N: Yes, I know we know what happened to the wedding itself and why it was interrupted. I just wanted to get into the spirit of this fic and fill in some gaps in the wedding plan scenes. Some scenes from "Icarus" through the Finale so it will be pretty familiar. However, the second wedding will be completely mine! lol)

**Part 1**

_Clark gave a brief glance forlornly back at the restaurant with his specially laid table and the roses, and sighed softly. Only Lois Lane would be able to totally blow his plans so far off course. She was late, she shot down his dinner plan, had brought up the sore subject of the VRA that was constantly on their minds, and had turned his night completely on end._

_But there was a little box burning a hole in his pocket and he was determined to ask her tonight. In the last few minutes, Clark was strongly reminded of why he loved her so much. Lois could frustrate him, dazzle him, debate with him, side with him, and keep him on his toes. He couldn't ask for a better partner, in work or in life._

_Suddenly, he was hit with an idea. "Yeah, we should probably, uh, just go home," he said. Then he stopped. "But wait a second…" She stopped and turned to face him, her look questioning. "I think I hear a situation that needs saving," he told her with a brief glance over her shoulder. "I'll be right back."_

_Then he was gone with another whoosh, leaving a somewhat perplexed Lois standing on the sidewalk. But the sound of the payphone ringing on the corner caught her attention and she turned around. Smiling, she realized who it must be and rushed over to answer it. Lifting the receiver she asked, "Did you save the day?"_

"_I don't know yet," his voice came across the line. "Look up."_

_As Lois did so, it started to rain rose petals and she absently replaced the receiver on the hook before sliding out of the phone booth to enjoy the beautiful sight. She turned in a slow circle, watching the petals drift softly to the ground around her, giving a soft laugh of delight and catching a handful to bring to her nose, drinking in the sweet scent. Suddenly, she felt the urge to turn around. When she did so, she saw Clark standing on the opposite corner just watching her. She smiled at him with love as he walked towards her._

"_You don't make it easy to ask a simple question, but that's what makes you…you," he told her, his tone a little nervous._

_Lois felt her own heart rate double as she looked into his eyes and he added, "The woman I want to spend my life with…the woman that I love." He dropped to one knee, opening a small box in front of her to reveal a beautiful ring. "Lois Lane, will you marry me?"_

_She felt like her heart would burst with love and happiness. "Yes," she replied without hesitation._

_He slid the ring onto her finger, his hands strong and steady, and rose to stand in front of her, holding her hands in his for a moment before gathering her into his arms. They kissed like they were the only two people in the world and Lois knew she had never been so happy. Her hands moved behind his head, playing with his hair as he pulled her tight against him, his right arm around her back, holding her to him and the other cradling the back of her head. And Clark got his wish…all thoughts of the VRA, heroes and the Daily Planet were far, far away._

~CK/LL~

_The Next Day at the Daily Planet…_

Lois Lane was getting frustrated. She had called everyone she knew this morning to tell the good news, from her future mother-in-law, to her ex-boyfriend who was now a true friend, and no one was picking up the phone! So what if it was before 8 am on a work day? It wasn't that early in Washington, and Oliver always answered his phone, at least one of them.

When she couldn't even get a reaction out of the security guard, she felt a brief moment of isolation and disappointment. The one person she really wanted to share the news with was Chloe, and no one had any idea how to get in touch with her. Knowing that Chloe wasn't on vacation as she originally thought, Lois occasionally received a note letting her know her cousin was ok, but it just wasn't the same. She couldn't return the note or card and she couldn't talk to her. Lois missed Chloe. That was all there was to it.

The moment of slight sadness only lasted that long, a moment, before she was unable to help the feeling of happiness take over because she was marrying the man of her dreams. She looked down at the ring again and smiled. What a sap she was turning into.

As she moved over to her desk, the mail boy came by and handed her a stack of mail. A large envelope caught her attention and she dropped all the rest of the mail on her desk, pulling out another red thick envelope with her name written in vaguely familiar handwriting on it.

The message told her exactly who it was from, even if it hadn't been signed. The handwriting and the snappy wording had Chloe's name all over it.

_They say you never know what fate has in store for us, but I say you can see some happy endings coming from a mile away._

Her mind took her back to just before Chloe had disappeared. She hadn't left for Africa yet and wasn't really sure of her decision to do so. She was trying to ask in a roundabout way about how her cousin and Oliver made their relationship successful with the whole Green Arrow thing and work. She hadn't known everything that Chloe knew at the time and so didn't spell it out exactly, but she was desperate to know how to make a relationship work with a superhero, especially since hers hadn't worked with Oliver…but that wasn't the only failed relationship on her mind.

"_Chloe, what really happened between Clark and Lana?" she forced herself to ask. She didn't want to pry but she needed to know. She knew she was onto something when her cousin froze in her tracks. "She couldn't make the sacrifices he needed, could she?" she asked, her eyes glazing over with tears._

_But Chloe's reaction surprised her. The blonde turned around and with eyes glassy with tears of her own, she smiled. "Let's just say Lana wasn't the one fated to be in Clark's life."_

Lois had wanted to believe her cousin so much back then but didn't really. Now, her smile was nostalgic and she desperately wanted to see and hear her cousin in person again. As she finished the card's message, she was surprised at the timing.

_For the big day, here's something borrowed. I'm there in spirit._

_Love,_

_Chloe_

How had she known? "I don't know how you do it, Chlo. It's like you can see the future," she said to herself.

She tilted the envelope so that the other contents would spill into her palm and found that Chloe had sent her a necklace. Holding it up, she looked at the two small medallions on the chain and smiled as she realized they were coins from foreign places that she had sent Chloe when she had been traveling with the General. It was nice to see that her cousin had worn them close to her heart when Lois couldn't be around. Slipping the necklace around her own neck, she felt like she was carrying a piece of Chloe with her and felt a little less alone.

~CK/LL~

_Later that night…_

Lois was tired and frustrated. She hadn't been able to reach anyone all day, not even Martha, and even when Tess Mercer had found out about her engagement to Clark at the Planet, she hadn't shown a hint of happiness for her reporter. Lois knew they were trying to keep up the pretext of enemies who had declared a truce but couldn't Tess have given her a brief smile? A nod? A pat on the shoulder? A wink? Any indication that she was happy for them, especially after Lois had had to put up with that annoying Cat Grant?

To make matters worse, she hadn't seen or spoken to Clark all day, he being busy trying to do his superhero duties without the VRA tracking down his movements. She couldn't even share her happiness at being engaged with her fiancé. She brushed all those feelings aside as she entered the elevator to take up to the floor where Watchtower was housed. Lois had done the whole alone thing, and she knew this wasn't the same thing. Her friends and Clark loved her and she was going to be happy about getting married, despite the grim circumstances surrounding her band of heroes.

As she stepped to the doors that concealed Watchtower, she was happily surprised by Clark coming from the direction of the other elevators. His surprise was also apparent.

"Lois, retina scan?" he asked.

"Yeah, 9. You know, she should be better at crossing her t's not her wires," Lois said, wondering why Tess would have them both show up at the same time for something that would take only a few minutes, and so late in the evening.

As they walked into the room and the lights came up, everyone yelled surprise and Lois beamed. Now _this_ was the reaction she had been wanting all day. As she stood talking with Courtney and Tess, she realized that these were true friends and they understood just how much this wedding and marriage would mean to her. She happily showed off her ring and tried not to gush as she recounted how Clark had proposed. Every so often, her eyes would meet Clark's across the room and they would smile the secret smile of lovers, happy to be in love and knowing their future paths would be shared.

Clark stood talking with Oliver, enjoying the glow of happiness and being surrounded by friends. As he waited to ask Oliver to be his best man, he knew he was making the right choice. Oliver was a true friend and he wanted him there, standing beside him. Oliver it seemed, however, would need a little persuasion to even be at the wedding.

"Clark, come on, now the whole world thinks I'm a terrorist. It's not exactly something you want on your Fortune 500 bio…or at your wedding so…"

Clark knew that Oliver had been through a lot since coming out as the Green Arrow to the whole world. He wasn't about to let the VRA or even Oliver's insecurities ruin what was supposed to be the happiest day of his life. "Well, that's too bad cause I was just about to invite you to be my best man." At the look of surprise on Oliver's face, he added, "You're the guy who stands next to me on the worst days of my life, and I want you there for the best one too."

Oliver felt his emotions overwhelm him and he felt so proud to be considered Clark's friend. There was no question of not going now. Reaching forward, he shook Clark's hand vigorously. "Oh, hey, you kidding? Absolutely, thank you!" He knew that he had never had a friend like Clark, one who really knew him, didn't care about his money and would stand by him.

It was Carter's advice, however, that would stick with Clark in the months ahead as they planned, or rather Lois planned, the big event.

"All I can say is, when it comes to planning the wedding, just nod…a lot," Carter told him with a slap to the back. Clark laughed but he would learn just how valuable those words of wisdom would be.

~CK/LL~

_A few hours later…_

Lois sighed contentedly, securely wrapped in Clark's arms as they sat on the globe of the Daily Planet building waiting for the sun to come up. It had been a wonderful night, one she was sure she would remember for the rest of her life.

"You warm enough?" Clark murmured into ear, his arms tightening around her ever so slightly.

"Mmm," she hummed lazily, basking in the glow of their love. "When I'm in your arms, always." They were silent for a minute or two, the sky gradually letting go of the blackness and going to navy blue, only the brightest stars still being seen.

"Clark, I'm sorry your mom wasn't there tonight. I couldn't even get her on the phone today to tell her the news," Lois said softly, not wanting to break the silence but feeling the need to comfort him.

She was sitting with her back to his chest, her head tucked into his shoulder, and his arms around her waist. At her words, she pulled back just a bit to be able to look up into his eyes. Clark smiled down at her and moved one hand to thread through her hair and cup her face. Giving her a brief kiss, he pulled back and shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Lois, I didn't even get a chance to tell you that she called me earlier. I guess in all the excitement of the party, I forgot," he told her.

Sitting up a little, Lois couldn't help but be a little hurt. "What? When did you talk to her? Why didn't she call me back? What did she say?"

Chuckling a little, Clark caught her lips with his again. "Lois, honey, calm down. She said she tried your cell phone but it either wasn't on or you were in a place that didn't get service because it went straight to voicemail. That's why she called me. She was over the moon, as she knew she would be…when I told her I was planning on asking you." His heart fluttered at the look of pure happiness and joy on Lois' face.

"Really? She's ok with having me as a daughter-in-law?" she asked, only half joking.

Running his fingers through her hair, Clark's eyes shown with love as he answered her. "You know Mom adores you. She's ecstatic that you'll legally be a part of the family. She said she's known you would be for a while now and this will just make it official. Mom said to tell you she would try to call you in a couple of days, after she's met with a group in Washington about the VRA. She's so busy fighting for me there, and I had no idea. While I appreciate it, I hope she'll be all right."

Clark looked worried and Lois smiled and kissed his cheek and then his lips to reassure him. "She'll be fine. Martha Kent is stronger than she lets on. Honestly, she might be safer there in Washington than it is here in Metropolis." Clark nodded in agreement and she turned back to watch the sky lighten yet more. "But she did say she would be here for the wedding, right?"

Clark's chest vibrated as he chuckled again. "Yeah, she said nothing would be able to keep her away from seeing her only son get married." Lois sighed softly and snuggled back down against him. He waited a beat before offering her the comfort she had tried to offer him. "Lo, I'm sorry Chloe isn't here to share this with you. I know you must be worried about her."

Lois felt her eyes involuntarily fill with tears and she sniffed slightly. "Yeah, I miss her and I wish she was here, but…" she pulled the necklace from around her neck and showed it to Clark. "She sent me this and a note. Clark, she said it was for the big day…like she's been watching us or knew we were going to get engaged. I just don't understand."

Taking the necklace from her, Clark studied the pendants hanging from the chain. After a moment, he replaced the necklace over her head and placed a kiss on the back of her neck. "Did it say why she was giving you the necklace?" he asked.

"Just that it could be my 'something borrowed'," she told him with a shake of her head. As another thought struck her, she sat straight up and whipped her head to face him. "Clark! Do you think that means that she'll come for the wedding? I mean something is only borrowed if you give it back. Maybe she's planning on coming back soon!"

Clark hesitated in answering her. He didn't want to crush her hopes, but he thought it unlikely that Chloe would be able to come for the wedding, or at least she wouldn't know yet. "I don't know, Lois. I'd like to think she would make it." As she realized he didn't believe Chloe would, her face fell and he rushed to add, "But you're right. It's only borrowed if you can give it back so it must mean that she _does_ plan on coming back…eventually."

Lois decided to focus on that, and nodding once, she turned back to the sky that was starting to fill with pinks, oranges, and golds as the sun struggled to peek over the horizon. Chloe or no Chloe, she was going to enjoy this moment of peace in the arms of the man that she loved. Glad she had taken a nap the afternoon before, she felt abuzz with energy from the anticipation of her life to come beside her husband the hero.

~CK/LL~

_(Around the time of "Beacon")_

_Unspecified cold morning, February, 2011 – Kent Farm kitchen a few days after the VRA repeal_

"Yes, I know it's a relatively short amount of time to try to plan a wedding, but it was the only day the church was available between the time we started looking and the end of the year, Lucy. Besides, as long as you're organized and know what you want, it's not impossible to do in 5 months," Lois said into her cell phone as she danced around the kitchen trying to time breakfast just right so that the bacon was done at the same time as the eggs and toast. She really hadn't improved much in the kitchen, but with Martha still incapacitated from being shot several days ago, Lois really wanted to show that she could at least make a decent breakfast.

There were footsteps on the stairs and Clark appeared, carrying a couple of suitcases and Martha following behind him. "I wish you could stay a little longer, Mom. It's been great having you here," he told her as he set the bags down by the back door.

Martha gave him a knowing smile, full of love. "Oh yeah, I'm sure having your mother in the house with your fiancée didn't put a cramp in your style at all," she said with teasing sarcasm. She adjusted her jacket, being careful of her still-sore shoulder, and sat at the island at Lois' waving her hand for the older woman to do so. Clark's answer was a grin and a brief squeeze to her good shoulder as he passed her.

Clark caught the blackened bread just as it popped up out of the toaster and dropped it onto the plate on the counter. Lois dodged him as he spun to put it on the island and she brought the bacon over, which was a little crispier than most people liked. Using his bare hand, Clark grabbed the skillet with the eggs, frowned briefly, shrugged and began to spoon eggs onto the plates. When Lois went to pour the coffee and her back was turned to them, Clark used a little extra burst of speed to throw out the burnt toast, grabbed some more bread and, using his heat vision, toasted several pieces to perfection and reheated the eggs.

Martha had watched the whole performance and was mesmerized. It was obvious this wasn't the first time they had done this dance. Catching his mother's eyes as he dropped onto his stool at the same time that Lois hung up the phone and dropped onto her own stool, Clark grinned and wiggled his eyebrows at Martha. She winked back and cleared her throat in an effort to keep from laughing.

"Well, that was Lucy, _finally_ returning my calls. It's only been what, 3 months since I saw her and 2 and a half months since we talked last? And here I thought we were going to try to be better sisters," Lois told them as everyone started digging into the food. She picked up a piece of charcoal that was supposed to be bacon, glared at it for a moment and then popped it into her mouth. "She's not sure if she'll be able to make it for the wedding."

"What? How could she possibly know she won't make her only sister's wedding that's still 3 months away?" Clark asked incredulously, trying to swallow his eggs.

"Because she's _Lucy_!" Lois declared as if that was all the explanation needed. Then she sighed and took a sip of her coffee. She played with the necklace around her neck that Martha had given her, a newly acquired nervous gesture. She alternated between wearing that necklace and the one Chloe had given her. "Truth is, she says she wants to be there but…oh forget it, basically, she doesn't want to commit to being at a specific place at a specific time. So if she makes it, she makes it. I'm just glad Chloe's back and will be able to be my maid of honor."

"What about your father, Lois? Have you been able to get in touch with him?" Martha asked, nibbling on her toast.

Lois paused in her movements only momentarily, but both Kents had caught it and shared a look of concern. "Nope. I just keep getting the run-around and everyone swears they're giving him my messages, but the truth is…I'm a little worried. I haven't heard from him since the whole VRA-vigilante-terrorist thing got really hot." She swallowed and flashed a smile at each of the other two people at the table. "I just wish I could talk to him for a minute. It couldn't have been easy for him when he decided to take another look at the VRA. He had been supporting it before, but ever since he visited us at Thanksgiving…"

She trailed off and looked a little lost. Clark reached over and squeezed her hand, giving her a reassuring smile. "I'm sure he's fine, honey. He's probably just busy. I'm sure he'll call as soon as he can."

Lois seemed to brighten a little and it made Martha's heart lighter to see how good they were for each other. "You're right, Smallville. I'm sure he's just out on some special op or something." She took another sip of coffee before adding, "Just watch the 'honey' business at the Planet."

"Yes, dear," Clark said with a grin and went back to trying to choke down his breakfast. Lois sighed but otherwise ignored him.

Martha cleared her throat and asked, "Did you still want to wear my dress for the wedding, Lois? You know it would be more than fine with me."

"Actually, Lucy just reminded me that dad had my mom's dress saved for one of us. I think it's in storage somewhere and if he'll ever call me, I was thinking of asking for it." Lois smiled at the older woman. "I hope you don't mind that it's my first choice if it's available."

"Of course! I completely understand," Martha told her but she couldn't help but be a little disappointed. She had been so flattered when Lois had asked to wear her dress during that last Valentine's Day debacle. She pushed her disappointment aside at the idea that Lois would be able to wear something to feel like she had her mother there with her on her special day.

Lois crammed a forkful of eggs into her mouth, started to chew, froze, made a face and swallowed hard. Picking up her orange juice glass, she drained it. "Smallville?" she said sweetly.

Suspicious at her tone, Clark only raised an eyebrow. "For the future, I prefer my eggs cold and fluffy instead of hot and rubbery. So you don't have to reheat mine," she told him, causing him to sputter. Lois smiled, knowing that he thought he had been sneaky. She pounded him on the back and added, "But it was sweet of you to try."

For the next several minutes, everyone pushed their food around their plate. Finally, Lois huffed and pushed her plate away. "Maybe we can just pick up some egg and cheese muffins on the way into work." Martha and Clark just laughed and Lois quickly joined in.

~CK/LL~


	2. Wedding 1 part 2

**The 7 Year Hitch**

**A/N: I want to send a big thank you to all of you out there who are reading and now following this story, and an especially big one to those who have left messages either on the thread or privately reviewing it or telling me how you are looking forward to more! I am going ahead and posting part 2, but it might be a little bit before I post part 3. I need to work on my other fic (the Jor-El/Lara one entitled "My Life Through Your Eyes"). I'm already ahead on this one and don't want to get behind on the other one. Please keep nudging me though and I'll try to pay attention to how long I let go by before updating again.**

**Part 2**

_(Set during "Masquerade" with several lines taken from that episode.)_

_February, 2011 – Daily Planet, End of the work day_

Lois Lane was in full blown planning mode. Nothing was going to stop her from planning this wedding now. The VRA had been repealed and even though there were still complainers and this "darkness" was still out there waiting to be fought, she was determined to make their small wedding absolutely perfect.

She was waiting for Clark to reappear to take her out to dinner, discuss wedding plans and then home…to discuss them some more. Not wanting to get started on anything that might get her stuck there late and ruin their plans, Lois had pulled out the model of the church she had built and was placing the pieces inside, trying to see how to balance out the problem she was seeing…well, one of them anyway.

Her phone rang and she tapped her Bluetooth on. "Lane," she said absently.

"Hi, sorry I'm running a bit late. Something came up," came her fiancé's voice.

Lois sighed into the phone. She had a feeling she knew what was keeping him away. "That something wouldn't happen to be an aversion to planning our upcoming nuptials would it?" she asked.

"No, of course not," Clark said, a little too quickly and too forcefully. "Besides, I'm sure that you have everything under control. Just look at how well Chloe's and Jimmy's wedding turned out." He winced as the words left his mouth. Maybe that wasn't the best example considering the groom ended up in the hospital along with many of the guests and the bride was carried off by an evil monster from another planet.

"Ok, first of all, we won't even address how that wedding ended and how the marriage turned out, but even still those were different times, Clark," Lois almost wailed.

Clark frowned as he kept an eye on the city below him. "Lois, I thought we decided to keep the wedding small because we didn't want it to get complicated. You sound upset. It's going to be fine, I'm sure. Whatever the problem is, we can fix it."

"Really? You sure about that?" Lois asked. A whole litany of problems and potential problems flew through her mind and she took a couple of deep breaths to try to calm down. 'Focus on Clark and how much you love him.'

"Try me," he challenged. "Even with everything that's been going on, nothing can stop this from happening…but maybe we could talk about this when I get there."

"Look, Clark, I want to plan this wedding as much as I want to jump off a building," she said with another sigh, placing the little bride and groom in her cardboard church.

"You know I'd catch you," he said, his tone full of love and gentle teasing.

She couldn't stop herself from smiling as she stood back up. "You're sweet," she told him. "Now stop trying to dodge this bullet, speedy pants. We've got a serious problem here. Tiny Lois has 37 possible guests on her side. Do you know how many guests tiny Clark has on his?"

"Just tiny Martha?" he quipped, trying to get her to lighten up and yet knowing his side of the cardboard church must look a little empty.

"Tiny Martha is the sign of a much larger problem," she answered back. "Sandwiching your super friends into the same place as my dad's battalion is a recipe for disaster! All it takes is one wrong person recognizing the right face, and…bam!" she rattled off in one breath as she placed miniatures of the heroes in the church on Clark's side.

"We'll find a way to make it work," he soothed. It wouldn't do any good to tell her not to worry but Clark was trying to make her worry less.

She huffed at his efforts. "It's easy for you to say when you're calling from…" she sat down at her desk and punched a key to turn off the screensaver. Frowning and shaking her head at what she saw on the monitor, she asked, "Where the hell are you?"

Grimacing briefly, Clark answered vaguely, "Just running some errands."

"Please tell me you didn't hop across the pond for a gallon of milk," Lois begged.

Clark froze. How did she _do_ that?! How could she possibly know? He laughed nervously. "Huh, what makes you think that I'd be in England?"

"Oh, you know, 'cause I'm kinda staring at your face online."

Oh, $#!*! Clark lowered the phone and immediately zipped to Metropolis, changing his wardrobe along the way. In minutes, he was straightening his jacket and hair as he strode down the stairs to the basement, coming face to face with Lois, her arms folded across her chest. He swallowed as he came to a stop a few feet away from her. This wasn't going to be good.

"That'd better be some pretty damn good milk, Smallville," she told him.

Now he knew he was in the doghouse. Lois only called him Smallville when they were away from work, trying to keep things professional at the _Planet_. "'Smallville', I must be in trouble," he muttered, taking the few strides left to close the distance between them. "How bad is it?" he came over to take in what Lois was looking at on her computer.

For the next few minutes, Lois showed him the news all over the world about the Red-and-Blue-Blur, acknowledging several of his saves, but pointing out that he had been spotted. He argued that no one had seen his face and he still made the save. Going over to the file cabinet they shared, she pulled out a piece of paper.

"Well, we were lucky…this time," she said, holding up the paper.

Clark stood up and frowned in confusion. "That was supposed to go out two days ago! Why do you still have this?" he asked, taking their story from her. Technically, she was letting him have the byline since she had filed the companion piece, but they had worked on it together and she had typed it up.

Lois looked at him like he had lost his mind. "Because I realized we had missed something before I sent it up there."

"I spell checked it twice," Clark told her.

Lois would have hit him upside the head if it would have done any good. "You really don't see this?! Clark…!" she demanded, taking the paper from him and going over to his desk. Grabbing her red Sharpie, she circled the word "Heroes" and his picture right underneath. "The whole world is starting to wonder who the Blur is and you are so close to the story that you might find yourself smack-dab in the middle of it!" She jabbed at the story for emphasis and saw that he still wasn't getting it. "I think it's high time that we got you a new disguise."

Clark opened his mouth, closed it and sighed. "What do you have in mind?" he asked reluctantly.

~CK/LL~

_Later that night at the farm…_

"I'm not going to stop saving people."

Lois stood stunned in place as she watched Clark walk away and take off his jacket. She knew he wouldn't care for the hood and glasses but she didn't think it was _that_ bad. And did he really think that she would ever want him to stop saving people? She, of all people, obviously had hero-worship for the man she was marrying, but he just wasn't seeing the big picture in this. She had to make him see it, even if he decided to be out there for everyone to see.

"I can't believe you could think I would want that," she told him with disbelief. "You know I know how important what you do is…not just to you, but to the whole world. Ok…" She watched him rip the hood from his jacket, her raw nerves playing havoc with her emotions. Lois was trying to plan a wedding…a future for them as a couple and, while she knew Clark enjoyed being out there saving the world, she needed him to see her point of view on this.

"Do you remember who else didn't want to wear a mask? Oliver," she pointed out.

Clark shoved his jacket into his duffle bag. "Oliver made his own choice."

She was ready to wring his neck. "And whether you like it or not, you've made one too!" He turned to face her and she felt that she finally had his full attention. "What is going to happen if people start thinking that shirt and tie Clark has what it takes to save the day? Sooner or later, someone is going to put 2 and 2 together."

"Yeah, and I appreciate your concern…" Clark started.

Lois interrupted, knowing that he still wasn't seeing how this would affect not just him, but her as well. "And I don't understand why you aren't _more _concerned. Oliver went from having two identities…to one…to none…and I will stand by you no matter what, ok…but is that really the life you want for yourself?"

Instead of answering, Clark just said, "You know I really should get to work."

Exasperated with his seeming lack of caring, Lois stepped in front of him, her exhaustion and anger barely reined in and making her snarky. "Oh no!" she put her hand up and smirked at him. "You do _not_ get to whoosh your way out of this one!" When he just blinked at her, she let out a soft breath. "Why don't I just save you the trouble and I'll just super speed off all on my own, ok?" She marched down the steps, paused halfway down and threw her hands up in the air, waving them. "Whoosh!" she said and then finished storming out of the barn.

Clark sighed. He understood what Lois was saying but he really just thought she was exaggerating. People would never think that he was the Blur. Lois was just being paranoid and he was trying to keep his cool because one of them needed to. Between work, the darkness, Oliver's situation, the pro-hero support _and_ the stress of the wedding, she had to be wearing down a little. Even the great Lois Lane couldn't do it all and not feel some stress.

~CK/LL~

Lois blinked rapidly and sniffed, attempting to keep from giving in to the tears that wanted release. Once she started, she wasn't entirely sure she would be able to stop. It was getting late and she had work tomorrow. Even though she should be in bed, trying to sleep, she knew she wouldn't be able to after everything that had happened today. This last phone call had just been the icing on the cake to a terrible day. Deciding that maybe some ice cream might help her blues, Lois tossed the phone to the side, got up from the couch and moved into the kitchen.

The little church model and tiny figurines that represented guests at her wedding was sitting on the island and she paused as it caught her attention. Lois sighed as she found one little figure dressed in army fatigues and picked it up to look at it sadly. She studied it for a minute, unable to help comparing the man it represented to the man who had left her a couple of hours ago to do what he felt was his "duty".

The quiet of the farm house was shattered by the ringing of the telephone, causing Lois to jump. She placed the small cardboard figure on the island by the church model and walked over to pick up the phone. Glancing at the caller ID, she felt a couple of tears fall. How did she always seem to call at just the right time?

Clearing her throat, Lois picked up on the third ring. "Hi, Martha," she said, hoping that she was able to keep her tone light.

"Lois! Oh, I'm so glad I was able to catch up with you. You weren't asleep were you?" the older woman's voice came over the line.

Lois yanked open the freezer and pulled out a tub of Black Forest ice cream. Reminding her of a conversation that they had shared a long time ago in which Lois had suggested that he try a "little more wild cherry", Clark had bought a container once as a gag. They both were pleasantly surprised to find that they loved the flavor.

Grabbing a spoon from the drawer, she shook her head slightly as if Martha could see her. "No, you didn't wake me. I was just grabbing a late-night snack as a matter of fact."

"Oh? And what's on the menu? Maybe if I have whatever you're eating here, I'll indulge too and we can pretend we're having a nice cozy talk on the couch," Martha suggested warmly.

Her words and tone were like a balm for Lois' soul. "Black Forest ice cream."

Martha frowned. Her soon-to-be daughter only ate that flavor, according to her son, when she was having a really great day or a really lousy one. Since Lois didn't seem to be bubbling over enthusiastically and talking a ninety miles an hour, she had to assume it was the latter. "Hmm. Not sure I have that flavor on hand but I do have some ice cream here so I'll join you. Is Clark home?" she asked nonchalantly.

Lois dropped onto the couch and scooped out a large spoonful. "Nope, he's out…chasing a special lead," she answered using one of the code terms they had developed.

"I see," Martha murmured. She heard a little bit of bitterness in Lois' tone and she prayed that the younger woman wasn't already having doubts about being the wife of a superhero. "Lois, what's wrong? Is Clark giving you problems? Because if he is…"

"No, no, nothing like that. Not really. It's just…" Lois trailed off and stuck the ice cream into her mouth, trying to figure out how to explain to Martha without saying a lot over the phone. Just because the VRA had been revoked didn't mean that they were taking any chances. With Martha being in the spotlight in Washington as a Senator and especially with her open support of the heroes, there would be no surprise to find that some branch of the government would bug her phone.

"Yes?" Martha prompted.

Deciding to give Martha part of the answer while she derived a way to explain the rest, Lois said, "I hung up from speaking with the General not long before you called. He said he found my mother's dress and it should be here tomorrow or the day after."

"Mmhmm." Martha waited patiently for her to continue.

"He also said that he's pretty sure he won't be able to make it to the wedding. Something about a special assignment which means that I take second place again to his _duty_," Lois blurted out, unable to keep the hurt from her tone.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry," Martha cooed sympathetically.

As if that had opened the floodgates, Lois found herself sniffling and the tears falling at an alarming rate. "And then there's the whole Clark-not-being-careful-and-going-to-get-caught thing we've been arguing about…" she proceeded to blubber into the phone around ice cream and sobs.

The only person other than Martha who might have been able to decipher Lois' string of babble currently pouring forth in halting, coded terms and tears, was Chloe. But even she would have had a hard time. As it was, Martha pieced the story together as best she could and sent reassuring sounds over the line, wishing she could hug Lois until it all came out. She knew that rest would go a long way to helping, but Lois was also fiercely independent and the older woman knew that she wanted to prove to everyone, especially Clark, that she could handle it all and come out still able to do more.

Martha let the young woman pour out her aching heart. When the sobs had calmed to slight hiccups and sniffles, and the words trailed off to a stop, she urged Lois to take a couple of deep breaths. "Sounds like you've been dealing with a lot. Weddings always seem to bring out all sorts of emotions, hopes and fears, including many we didn't even know were there. It can be a rough time for even the most…_average_ couple."

"And Clark and I aren't an average couple," Lois said, continuing Martha's trail of thought. "I know. It's just…I just don't think he gets it! The fact that he even thought for a moment that I would suggest he stop…helping people is beyond absurd and makes me so angry I want to spit! But I know he didn't mean it like that. I just don't understand how he isn't worried about…someone finding out what he does with his _off_ time. I mean, is this a _guy_ thing or a _Clark_ thing?"

The older woman chuckled. "You forgot the question of whether it's a _Kent_ thing." She sighed before going on, "Actually, you know that Jonathan and I were always worried that people would find out. Our fears have proven to be well-founded in some cases, but not so in others. Pete and Chloe are perfect examples on both sides of that issue, although there were times when Clark himself wished Chloe could be free of the burden of his secret, as he would phrase it. But something happened not too long back, something he hasn't confided to me that has made him more confident and bold in what he's doing. I thought briefly that he was just feeling that way because he now has you to stand beside him, but it's more than that. I think it has something to do with…his biological father, but that's only a guess."

The women sighed simultaneously. Martha took a deep breath before saying, "The truth is, Lois, that you're both right on this. Clark shouldn't have to hide what he's doing out there. People could use a real beacon of hope leading them in the light, not from the shadows. However, that shouldn't mean that he has to give up everything he's working so hard to protect. I have to believe that his parents wanted him to be able to live a full life, one that includes love and family."

Lois grunted, finishing the last bite of the ice cream. "But how are we supposed to do that?" she groaned, unconsciously including herself in that life. Martha smiled at it but then the meaning behind the question caused her to frown again. "Too many people _know_ Clark for him to be able to do this with an audience. Look at what happened to Oliver!"

"I don't know," Martha admitted. "But I'm sure with Lois and Clark working as a team, the solution will present itself." She then brought up something that had caught her attention in Lois' ramblings a bit ago. "As for the…_costume_ idea, what happened to the suit I sent him?"

Her question caused Lois to drop her spoon into the empty container with a clatter and slam it onto the coffee table. "You know, I don't know what happened to that suit! I totally forgot about it until you just reminded me. I'll have to ask him what happened to it. Still doesn't solve the problem with the facial recognition, though."

"No," Martha murmured her agreement. "It doesn't, but…I don't know if I want to get into what prompted me to design it the way I did over the phone. Listen, Lois, it's getting late and I have a meeting with a committee in the morning at 9:30, so I'm going to have to go," she said regretfully.

Lois glanced at the clock and yawned, her eyes widening at the time. It was really late now. Clark would likely stay out all night. "Yeah, I should be getting to bed too. Tomorrow's story won't write itself!"

"Lois, I know you've got a lot on your plate, but you are a strong, intelligent woman with a big heart. Don't forget to try to stay balanced between independence and supporting the man you love. It's not easy to do sometimes. Stay positive. Something will break," Martha encouraged.

"Thanks, Martha. I don't know how you do it, but you always seem to know just when to call and just what to say," Lois told her warmly.

Martha's tone held warm amusement. "It's a super power you develop when you become a mom," she teased. "Give Clark a kiss for me, and then hit him over the head with those little green rocks if you need to knock some sense into his thick head. Call me whenever you need to talk about anything. I love you both, and I'll see you soon!"

After hanging up the phone and cleaning up the remains from her indulgence, Lois quickly got dressed for bed and climbed between the cool sheets. Yawning again, she looked out the window at the sky full of stars and switched off the lamp. "Stay positive. Find a balance between independence and support," she muttered to herself. "Not bad advice of course, but will it work with an intergalactic traveler?"

~CK/LL~

_The next day at the_ Planet…

Lois marched through the basement with an intern hot on her heels. "I'm getting really tired of excuses here," she said into her Bluetooth. Jeff tried to talk to her but she held up a hand. She was at a critical point here with these people. For the fourth time, they were trying to change the appetizers on her. Something about an oil spill raising the prices on the shrimp cocktails she had wanted. "Risotto cheese bites?!" she put a hand to her head, feeling a headache coming on and fighting a bit of hysteria. "Ok, should we just serve up hot charcoal too?" she asked, disconnecting the line.

She held her hand towards the young man at her side. "What do you have for me, Jeff?"

"These just came in from Bert in forensics. Ah, he says you're lucky to be engaged to such a super guy," Jeff quoted.

Lois sighed. Jeff was like a walking recorder. He remembered everything and passed messages on verbatim, but this was one time that she wished he hadn't remembered the exact terminology. "Does he now?" she asked, swinging around to her desk.

"Mmm. Is there anything else you need?" Jeff asked. Like a well-trained retriever, Jeff was always eager to please. And in this case, Lois decided that it was time to start delegating some things. She decided to test just how well he could do a task that she assigned him.

"How would you feel about negotiating a deal across town for me?" she asked, ripping off a piece of paper and handing it to him with a smile.

His eyes lit up and he took it from her but then he looked a little confused. "This is um, a bakery."

Keeping her smile in place, Lois told him, "Yes, it is and why don't you get me a good rate on vanilla bean frosting?" She was happily surprised when he simply accepted his mission, obviously taking it seriously.

Clark came in just then and she before she could say anything, he beat her to the punch, acknowledging what happened at the crime scene and asking her if she had anything to say. Rather than start an argument at work, and trying to keep herself from winding up too tightly, Lois plastered a smile on her face and told him with only a hint of sarcasm, "Not me. Nope. I'm a positive, supportive, independent woman, and I just want to know what happened at the morgue."

Feeling a little guilty and miffed about that, Clark decided two could play the straight professionals and told her he had hit a dead end. Maybe this was the best way. Keep work at work and home at home. He just wasn't sure yet where the Blur fit in those categories. Then she one upped him again when she showed him the photos that Bert had sent over. Their usual banter had a bit of an edge to it today and both were trying to keep their tempers in check.

"_Microvision?_" Lois asked skeptically.

"It's my power, I can call it whatever I want," Clark told her defensively. When her eyes narrowed, he relented, letting go of his annoyance. They needed to work together on this and the way she kept him on his toes was one of the things he loved about Lois.

~CK/LL~

It was a new day and Clark was feeling good. He had faced Desaad and had come out on the other side unscathed. _And_ he had figured out the answer to the problem Lois had been on his case about. He stood as Lois walked in with a copy of the morning edition. They met and he grabbed his bag.

"The guy who left his calling card across the globe suddenly doesn't want the credit?" she asked, acknowledging her name being under his story.

"I asked that my name be taken off," he told her, steering her towards the copy room. "You're right, Lois, I've been drawing too much attention to myself. I've been doing this all wrong."

While a small part of Lois thrilled to hear those words, her conscience stabbed at her and she started to apologize. "Clark, I am sorry. I-I should've known the pressure you're under and not made things more difficult for you."

He closed the door and turned to her. "And _I_ should be wearing a mask," he told her. Lois tilted her head questioningly. "And fortunately, I've lived my entire life up until this point without needing one. Which is why I've been so reluctant. I mean, this is the face of the man that my parents raised…the face of the man that you love. I don't want to deny who I am when I'm out there doing what I was born to do."

Lois didn't understand exactly where he was going with this. "Then why bother with the jacket, Clark? The symbols?"

He set his bag on top of the copy machine. "When I'm out there in the red and blue and I'm saving people, that's who I really am. And I know that this is going to sound weird but it's not what I'm called that should define who I am. It's who I am that should define what I'm called. Clark Kent…it's just a name…just a word," he told her. "I am the Blur and always have been."

Lois looked at him with an expression of love and acceptance and then smiled brilliantly. "That is a pretty amazing breakthrough! And I'm really happy to hear it, but if you wanna keep doing things like, I don't know, working here and…marrying moi, I don't see how we're going to make this work."

Clark squeezed her forearm in reassurance. "By doing exactly what we talked about. The answer's literally been staring me right in the face," he told her, reaching into his bag.

Placing a hand over his to stop him, Lois darted a look around and through the blinds to the busy newsroom on the other side of the windows. "Clark! The Blur can't just whip out a new costume at work."

He blinked a little and bit back a grin. "The _Blur_ is not the disguise, Lois," he told her, holding up a pair of black framed glasses. Her eyes caught them. "Clark Kent will be the mask."

Lois' mouth dropped in comprehension and her eyes lit up, seeing all the possibilities. Suddenly, it felt as though the weight of the world had been lifted off of her shoulders. Clark _had _been paying attention and he did want to be able to keep a life with her separate from his hero duties. Plus, she was a little turned on at the thought of a nerdy Clark Kent with a secret hot body that only she knew about. "Ok. Ok, but the only way that the glasses are ever going to work…"

"Is if I adjust my behavior when I use them? I know! The world needs to believe that Clark Kent is way too normal to ever be…"

"Super," Lois finished. They were both so excited and on finally on the same page about this that they were finishing each other's sentences.

"And even though we silenced Godfrey, we've shut down Granny's orphanage and buried Desaad underneath Belle Reeve, it's not the last time that we've seen Darkseid," he told her. She nodded somewhat worriedly at that. "But I'll be ready," he told her, putting the glasses on. "Hiding in plain sight."

She took a moment to acknowledge to herself how much she really appreciated the bump in his geek factor before deciding to bust his chops just a little. "So you're willing to dial back the home town hero and crank up the average Joe?" she asked a little skeptically.

"If that's what it takes to be the hero that people need…" He reached up and pushed the bridge of his glasses up on his nose with a finger and said meekly, "Yes, Miss Lane, I am."

Lois' smile grew and she bit her bottom lip as her stomach did a little flip at the act. Oh this was going to be torture at work…torture of the best kind. She decided to even the playing field a little. "Did you know that average fiancés let their ladies take them to cake tastings?" she asked, biting back a grin as his shoulders dropped and he looked defeated. "You just have to act like you're miserable though," she added salt to the wound. As she brushed past him, she almost giggled as he told her that it shouldn't be a problem for him to do.


	3. Wedding 1 part 3

**The 7 Year Hitch**

**A/N: **Thanks for the support, guys! Hope you like the new chapter!

**Part 3**

(Set around the time of "_Fortune_" and thereafter)

Lois came down the stairs, pausing mid-way to see Clark's reaction to the new outfit. It was a little more on the wild side than she normally wore, but when she had seen it in the store, she thought it captured the spirit of tonight's purpose. And the look on Clark's face made it well worth it.

"Wow! You look great!" he told her, checking her out from head to toe in the animal print dress and high heels. She was wearing the locket his mom had given her-he hadn't seen her without it since then-and his ring, but that was the only part of her outfit that he recognized and he found himself almost drooling. He was indeed a lucky man.

"Thanks. It never hurts to change it up a little bit…except for the ring," she said, drawing both of their attentions down to the sparkly jewel. "I'm never gonna take that off. It's my…sparkly little ball and chain," she quipped as her eyes met his.

Clark recognized a bit of fear in those eyes and it made him a little nervous. Lois had been chin deep in wedding plans, all while trying to balance those with his other identity and work, which had been a lot of pressure. He had mentioned it to Oliver that he was worried about Lois and his friend had been the one to suggest trying to do the bachelor and bachelorette parties early to liven things up and relax everyone. Thinking it had been a great idea, Tess, Chloe, and Emil all agreed and ran with the idea.

Clark's smile faded slightly as he tried to feel out his fiancée. "So you having any second thoughts about your girls' night out?" he asked, hoping her answer would give him some clue as to how she was handling everything.

"Clark, my swinging single days have swung," she said with a smile and shake of her head, relieving him somewhat. But then her next words sent off alarm bells that were hard for him to ignore. "It's just that all this wedding stuff is very weddingy!" she said with a nervous laugh. "I never thought I'd be that gal."

Uh, oh. Clark tried to swallow down his anxiety. He had no doubts about Lois' love for him. He would bet his life on it. But that didn't mean that Lois wasn't feeling the crunch on her nerves about a big to do over tying the knot. Just as he was about to try to feel her out as to how bad she was feeling the pressure, Chloe and Tess interrupted them.

For the next couple of minutes, Clark drank in the spirit of the room as they prepared to be on their way. His best friend for years was back and was going to be the maid of honor, he was marrying the woman of his dreams, the VRA had been repealed and all was right with the world for the moment. He was so happy…and yet…

It felt like so many things were missing…so many _people_ missing that should be there, not just for tonight but involved in all these happy moments. Courtney was out of town for the moment, still mourning the loss of their friend Carter. Pete, his parents, Lois' parents and sister…and even Kara. It just felt like there were all these holes. They hadn't heard much from Victor, AC, Bart, or Dinah lately and it just felt like they should be around too. Determined to focus on the happiness that he had been blessed with, Clark squeezed Chloe's shoulders briefly and smiled over at Lois.

Oliver announced that the limo was there and called for a toast to start the festivities. Chloe was the one to step up to the plate and lifted her glass to her cousin and friend. "To the bride and groom!" she said, but that didn't feel right. Lois looked nervously to Clark and back to her cousin and the atmosphere almost crackled as Chloe searched for the right words. "You know…to friends!" she changed, smiling as those words seemed to open up the connection between her heart and her brain. "You two amazing people have been the best friends I could have ever asked for, and…_we_," she said, her gesture encompassing all of those in the room. "Want you to know that we are here for you…to support you as you begin your happily ever after adventure. And tonight is all about celebrating you."

Clark couldn't believe the way his best friend seemed to be reading his mind and giving him the words that not only he needed to hear, but also that Lois needed to hear. He looked over at her and felt his nerves vanish, even in the obvious evidence of Lois' nerves written on her face. Everything would work out in the end. Lois loved him and he loved her. They had been through hell and high water together and they would certainly survive a wedding.

Lois was near tears. She had been fighting the building panic for a few days, and her cousin's words both helped and added to her worries. The one thing she was sure of, her anchor in all these rapids, was her love for Clark. She latched onto that lifeline and held on, focusing on it when everything just started to overwhelm her.

Chloe added, "And I hope you boys have fun tonight, but don't do anything I wouldn't do," sending a mock warning glare to Oliver and Emil.

Everyone clinked their flutes together and downed their glass of bubbly…and that's the last thing anyone remembered about that night.

~CK/LL~

The next morning, Clark woke up in a tux with his first hangover, wearing a wedding band, and found Chloe in a pile of white fluff and jewelry in his bedroom closet. There was a ring-tailed lemur, a scorched symbol of the house of El on his ceiling and a bunch of stuff he knew wasn't his. That was how the morning began.

One of the mysteries of the night had been answered when he and Chloe found the note that had come with the bottle of champagne addressed to him from Zatanna. At least now he knew he wasn't entirely crazy. He had been worried since alcohol didn't usually affect him. He didn't really start to panic until he and Chloe made their way to downtown Metropolis to get his wallet and found the limo…and he discovered the text from Lois from the night before.

"It says, 'I just need more time'," he read. He swallowed hard, his fears finally bubbling to the surface as Chloe climbed into the crazily decorated limo to try to piece together more of the puzzle. "What if she doesn't want to be found? What if all of this finally got to her and pushed her away?"

"Clark!" Chloe exploded, exasperated with his self-doubts, compounded by her own worries over what had happened the night before. She popped up over the door of the stretch and said, "Ok, look all of the taffeta and lace, and goofy traditions in the world are not going to give Lois the wedding jitters," she told him.

"You don't understand. This is not the first time she has bailed when things got real between us," he told her. Clark's mind flashed over all the moments that Lois Lane had bolted on them. "The first time I kissed her, she left town. And when she found out I was the Blur, she went to Egypt!"

"Your relationship is at a totally different level right now!" Chloe exclaimed, climbing down out of the car. "Not to mention that Lois knows that _you_ are the proverbial one," she said slamming the door shut. "And besides that, weddings just aren't that scary."

Clark took a deep breath, wanting to believe her. "I hope you're right." His eyes caught what she had in her hand. "Are those Emil's pants?"

Chloe confirmed his guess and then almost started to hyperventilate when she figured out what else she was holding…half of a marriage certificate…with her name on it! Crap! "Holy matrimony, that's my signature! Clark, we really are married!"

~CK/LL~

Lois' head was pounding as she looked around for some clue as to how she had gotten to where she was…with Oliver of all people. Neither of them had a single memory of last night, Oliver was dressed like a mint flavored game show host, and both of them were missing the usual essentials people carried, like ID and cell phones.

"It's ok, it's alright. You know what we're gonna do? We're gonna, uh, we're gonna find one of those infamous phone booths of yours, ok? And we're gonna call Clark and everything's gonna be great," Oliver said as he headed off in what he thought was the direction they needed to go.

About that time, Lois had realized she was missing something else of importance. "We can't call Clark," she said in a panic.

Oliver rubbed his temple, his head hurting too bad to try to figure out the puzzle that was Lois Lane. "Sometimes…I don't understand…why…what's…what's the problem huh?" he stammered out trying to form some kind of coherent sentence. He turned back to look at his friend.

Lois held up her left hand and his eyes were drawn to it, not catching on until she explained. "My engagement ring is gone!"

As they walked along the not-so-idyllic part of Metropolis, trying to figure out how to get to familiar ground, Lois started a full-out panic over her ring. Oliver saw it coming and tried to head it off at the pass. "You may just have to let go of the ring, and I'll tell you what I'm gonna do. My corporation? I may have lost it, but I'm going to buy you an identical rock. Ok? Problem solved," he volunteered, thinking that would fix everything.

Lois looked at him like she pitied him for the way he could be so dense sometimes but knew his heart was in the right place. She gave a small hysterical giggle. "I hate to break this to you, but the last thing I want to go around with for the rest of my life is a lie propagated by my ex-boyfriend," she told him.

"Oh," he said with a sheepish shrug. Guess he hadn't thought that one through.

"The ring that Clark gave me was a symbol of our love, the symbol of our future together. It wasn't just any ring, it was _the_ ring, the big kahuna! I waited my whole life to find somebody who would get this wacky world view and care enough to give me the ring and the first thing I do is go and lose it!" she rambled, her gestures growing out of her agitation.

Oliver tried to placate her by telling her, "He's going to understand, Lois. He always does."

"We can_not_ tell Clark!"

~CK/LL~

Sometime later, Lois and Oliver sat back to back, their arms tied together with duct tape in the back room of the Fortune Casino. When they had followed the trail that led them to the whereabouts of the engagement ring, Lois had been extremely upset to find out that she had supposedly gambled it away. She was bemoaning the loss of her engagement ring, and Oliver was busy trying to get them out of there before the goons came back, this time with "the boss". Looking around, something caught Oliver's attention, and he instructed Lois in how to help him shuffle them over to the pole with the sharp edge.

"I should've known that all this…bridal hoopla was too good to be true. All my prenuptial bliss was just one right click away from bridal apocalypse," Lois said in between Oliver's grunts as they moved across the room.

"Alright, you should really ease up on yourself, Lois. You haven't ruined anything," Oliver said, not sure where this was all coming from.

As he started sawing away at his bindings, Lois felt her eyes fill with tears. "You still don't get it. I did not want to be bride waving her freak flag down the aisle ok? I-I wanted this to be perfect, not my normal _mess_," she told him.

Oliver let a beat go by and he felt his heart go out to his friend. "We're all a mess, ok? Let's be fair."

"Not Clark! No, Clark would _never_ lose his ring, ok? Do you have any idea how much pressure there is being engaged to walking perfection?" she asked, blinking back her tears.

Now _this_ Oliver could relate to. "Do you have any idea how much pressure there is fighting crime next to walking perfection?" he quipped, only half joking. He had finally come to terms with his issues regarding Clark's seeming infallibility. Loose, he was working on getting Lois freed from her bonds.

She laughed just the slightest bit, and her bindings finally gave. "You're free!" he declared happily. "Alright, let's blow this popsicle stand."

Lois turned around to face him and looked at him in disbelief. "No! We're not leaving without my ring!"

Oliver felt his heart sink. "I thought we were-we were past that."

"Well, we're not," she corrected him without so much as a blink. Oliver took a deep breath wondering if it would be any use to argue with her. She motioned with her head to follow her out the door, and he sighed as he followed.

~CK/LL~

_After every one was back to themselves and where they were supposed to be…_

It was happening again. Clark was going to lose one of his best friends…but this time it wasn't going to be permanent. She promised she would always be there for him, always have his back, but she had another calling. He couldn't hold onto her anymore. She was going to go out and help save the world in her own way, helping heroes to find their path and stay on it. And all the while, she would go back to rediscovering the Chloe Sullivan she used to be by working at the Star City Register.

Clark couldn't and wouldn't begrudge Chloe, his best friend since 5th grade, this opportunity. He just hoped that she could find a way to let Oliver be happy with her as well. They both deserved the happiness they had found in each other. And he had a feeling that Chloe would never be able to stay away from Metropolis for long if her cousin Lois was based there. Star City was only a brief blur away for a visit, but he knew it wouldn't be the same. The hardest thing about time moving on was the changes it brought, some good and others heartbreaking.

He was only glad that Chloe would be there for the wedding. It would have crushed Lois if she hadn't been. In all the excitement of the last 24 plus hours, he had been relieved to realize that Lois had seemingly found her footing again on the path to matrimony. He had caught her staring down at her ring several times and then hugging her hand to her heart.

'_Speak of the devil…'_ he thought as he heard her footsteps on the stairs of the loft. He smiled and turned just as she reached the top, but her eyes were glassy and he realized that she knew. "You talked to Chloe," he said more than asked.

She nodded and wrung her hands for a minute. Shrugging her shoulders, Lois shuffled her feet and looked down at them. "I suppose I should be happy for her. I mean, she's finally getting a life of her own. I've been after her to do that for years, even before you and I became…well, you and me. Now she's going out there and going to show the world what the rest of us already knew, that she has so much to offer and she really is a great person," her words trailed off as her eyes flitted up to his face.

Clark felt his heart break for her. He opened his arms wide and she flew into them, bursting into tears. He held her tightly, rocking her slightly to comfort her. "I don't know why I'm crying. I'm really-really happy for her!" Lois hiccupped between sobs. "And I know I'll still see her from time to time. There'll be phone calls and visits and Star City isn't that far away really, especially not when you can use your particular talents. It's just…it's just…"

"You feel like you're being left behind again?" he guessed softly. "You feel like you just got her back and now she'll be leaving again. You feel like everyone you love ends up leaving you."

"Yes!" Lois gasped, pulling back to look up at him in mild shock. "That's exactly it! How did you…"

He smiled down his love at her, cupping her face with his hand. "Lois, I know you. I knew that this would hurt you…and I feel the same way. I've felt that way many times in my life, that everyone I love always leaves in one way or another."

Lois shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "But how do you keep trusting in people then? That's one of the reasons why it was so hard for me to let you in…really let you in."

His eyebrows drew together. "Because if I hadn't kept trying, I wouldn't have found the beautiful happiness and magic that we have." Lois flashed a watery smile, her heart melting. "And while those special people are in our lives, they touch us in ways that make us better people…make our lives better, richer, brighter. We have to learn to appreciate the precious times that we have with them and cherish those moments, learn from them, and hopefully share them with others in the future."

She nestled back in his arms again, drinking in his strength and love. "And she will be just a phone call away. It's not like she's really disappearing again," Lois said to reassure herself again.

Dropping a kiss onto her head, he rested his cheek on her hair and nodded. "And she will be here for the wedding. That's good to remember. She deserves this chance."

Taking a deep breath, Lois nodded and pulled back, swiping at her eyes. Then her breath caught as she realized something. Her eyes shot to his. "Does Ollie know yet?" When he shook his head, she snorted. "She might not be going anywhere after all."

Clark hesitated, but then decided to point out softly, "Or he might decide to go with her." Lois caught her breath at that. "She did say she chose Star City, and that's Oliver's home city." Seeing her trying to gather her courage, he placed a kiss on her lips. "But no matter what, you will always have me, Lois."

Pulling her back into his embrace, he didn't see Lois grimace a little and glance down at her ring. Would Clark still feel that way if he knew she had gambled away her engagement ring? It was gnawing at her conscience like a rat on a bag of garbage. Should she confess, or was all best forgotten since it had ended with her ring safely back on her finger?

~CK/LL~

Clark caught Lois' eyes across the vast room at Watchtower as the others got ready to watch the video of their night. The love he saw shining in her hazel pools pulled him across the room and he took the flute of sparkling cider she held out for him. Every time they looked at each other this way, it took his breath away. His heart skipped a beat and fluttered down to his stomach.

"I'm so gun shy that I don't even know if I should try it," he said, only half joking.

Lois gave a little laugh, but he could see that something was bothering her. He only had to wait half a beat before she spilled it. "Here's the thing, Clark, I, uh," she took a deep breath before blurting it out, "I bet the ring. I mean, I got it back, but…please forgive me."

He looked deep into her eyes and smiled reassuringly. He had already heard the story from Oliver, but he was glad that she had decided to confess to him. Clark was happy to find that she felt she could. "Lois, there's nothing to forgive," he told her, gathering her in his arms and holding her tightly for a moment. "The ring is not what's important." Then he pulled back and looked her straight in the eyes as he told her, "You are."

His eyes darted away and then to the ground as he felt like it was his turn to confess. "But I have a bit of a confession myself." She looked at him questioningly. "When I woke up this morning and you were gone, I thought that I had scared you away somehow."

It was a little strange, but Lois felt that somehow _his_ confession was _her_ fault. She didn't have the best track record in their relationship. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I know that I have the, uh, runaway girlfriend thing to…"

"Look, if all this wedding mess is getting to be too much, then…" he interrupted her.

But she took back control, not wanting him to think she couldn't handle the planning. "No, it's-it's not that. It's hard to explain."

"You don't need to explain," he said, trying to let her off the hook. "I just want you to know, that if you're having doubts deep down inside, or you're not 100% sure that this is the right thing to do…I will understand," he told her, forcing a smile though it broke his heart to say it. The smile fell just as quickly as it came and his gaze dropped again. "I'm going to want to marry you in 5 days or in 5 years," he told her honestly, bearing his heart.

Lois tilted her head to the side and swallowed back a lump in her throat. "That was the perfect thing to say," she said softly. She felt her worries over the wedding fade significantly with his words and as she settled on the couch beside him, surrounded by their friends, she relaxed. She was marrying the man of her dreams. What could go wrong?


End file.
